Furniture slide and method of making same



J. A. GREEN FURNITURE SLIDE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Jan. i3, 1925. 1,522,878

Filed April 23. 1923 Snucntoz au d Wwe Patented dan. l3, i925.

JAMES A. GREEN, OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TURNER & SEY- MOUR :MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF TORR'INGTON. CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION 0F CONNECTICUT.

FURNITURE SLIDE AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME.

Application led April 23, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that, I, JAMES A. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Torrington, county of Litchfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furniture Slides and Methods of Making Same, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to a furniture slide and method of making same. The objects of the invention include the provision of a novel and efficient form of furniture slide or glide which shall be efficient in operation and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and the provision of improved methods by which the same maybe made and assembled. Other objects comprise improved combinations and details of construction and of the manufacturing process as will be more fully pointed out in the following specilication.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating a furniture slide embodying the invention and certain steps of a process by which the same may be made. Referring to the drawings- Fig. 1 represents a vertical section taken through a solid member which is to form the slide, the axial shank which is to be secured thereto being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the solid head or body after the shank has been secured thereto, the shank being shown in side elevation, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the complete slide shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the slide comprises a solid integral metal head l, having a smooth bottom or sliding surface upwardly curved around the outer edge thereof as indicated at 8. The head is provided with a plane upper surface l having one or a plurality of projections extending upwardly therefrom', preferably for a slight distance only, which are intended to engage the lower surface of the wooden leg, -or other surface of the furniture to which the slide is applied to prevent turning of the slide when it has been applied. Preferably these projections take the form of a Serial No. 633,890.

plurality of slight radial ribs, o-r ridges, 5, which extend inwardly for a part of the distance between the outer edge 6 of head l and the vertical axis thereof` The slide is provided with a shank 7 extending upwardly from the center of the upper surface thereof, this shank preferably being formed as a separate member having a head or enlarged lower end 8 embedded within the metal of the sliding head l.

Preferably the head l is formed of steel or other suitable metal and the shank 8 is formed of steel wire or other suitable metal having the same coefficient of expansion or substantially the same coefficient of expansion as the metal of which the head l is composed. The head l is preferably pressed to form, as shown in Fig. l, with a cylindrical opening 9 extending downwardly for a distance from the upper surface 4 thereof, this recess being coaxial with the head l.

rEhe heads or blanks are preferably formed and pressed to shape complete as shown in Fig. l from suitable material the ribs5 being formed integral with the head. The blanks are then preferably fed automatically to another machine where the shanks are formed and automatically assembled to the heads. A shank having its head 8 positioned within the opening 9 may be secured to the head by forcing the metal of the head surrounding opening 9 downwardly over the head 8 of the shank so as to completely cover the head 8 of the shank and secure the shank firmly in position. This may readily be done by a swaging operation, the result being the provision of a slight circular depression l0 surrounding the shank 7, the metal within which circular depression has been forced downwardly over the head 8 of the shank from its former position surrounding the opening 9, as shown in Fig. l.

The formation of the Shanks and the assembly of the same with the heads is preferably carried on continuouslv and automatically in the one machine, as stated. Each shank being cut to length from a coil of wire and pointed at it-s upper end, as shown at l1, may have its head 8 formed thereon by an upsetting operation preferably after the lower end of the shank has been inserted within opening 9, the lower end of the shank being sufficientlyy upset to cause the lupset end 8 Athereof to completely fill the opening from side to side after which the metal l() of the head l is swaged down over the shank head 8, as stated. It is thought unnecessary to disclose herein the exact detailsl of mechanism by which this process is carried out in practice.

The slide is applied to furniture by simply driving the same into position therein, the shank 7 preferably being scored or roughenedfas indicated Vat l2 to preventthe same from working out. The ribs 5 penetrate slightly .into the wood to prevent turning and loosening of the slide, the height and thicknessofthe ribsfbeng insufficient, how-l ever,gt`o cause any danger of the same crackngthe wood.

vlrtwillbe notedthat variousimproved resultsare obtained by a constructionsuclias described iny comparison with the furniture slides previously made, with which ,I am familiar. Furniture slides, glides or tips, as

they are variously called, are commonlyV formed by pressing sheet metal into the form of ashellwhich may be formed of one or more sheets or thicknesses of metal commonly havingprongs integral withthel edge portion thereof. In such a case the vshell is likely to be dented when it is hammered into `placeunless it is madeofheavy metal,

in which case the prongs are ,liable to split the furniture leg. Also the shells being of comparatively .thin ,niet-al will not sufciently resist wear unless they are hardened. The teeth or prongs at the periphery of hardened Yshells are likely tobe brittle and break olf. With Vsuch shellstliere has also been diiculty vinsecuring and a central nail orcshankin place, when such anail has been proposed. n

These` various diiculties are all over- I4come by the construction described.V In my construction it is unnecessary to harden the steel or other metal of which the head is formed because the same Yis solid and has sufficient thickness to resist wear without hardened, but the head may be hardened ifdesired. 'The shank is preferably formed of the `same metal astlie head'or of a ,metal having the same coeificientfof expansion so that lthe head and shank will not expand and |`contract unequally. The ribs arenot brittleor liable to break off, as is thecase with the integral prongs provided at the periplr ery of various sheet metal shells above referred to. These ribs extend `inwardly for a VVsufficient distance to prevent turning of the slide under the stresses to which it is subjected in use, while at the same time the ribs are preferably of such 4slight heightV and thicknessas to have no tendency to split the wood. In describing tlieribs as radial .l mean to include ribsextending inwardly over the face i of the head in -directions which may not be exactly directed towards the center, but which nevertheless will extend at a` sufficient angle to a tangential turning force soas to resist turning ofthe slide. It should be notedthat the invention is not limited strictlyto the detailsof construction Vwhich havebeen'particularly described, but thatthe saineis as broad as is indicated bythe accompanying claims. 'What I; clainis.:

l. A furniture slide, comprising a solid integral head of hard,.durable inetalvhaving4 a, smooth lower sliding surface upwardly curved around -the edge, and 'having one or more .radial upwardly ,extending ribs on its supper-surface, and a pointed .shank extendinggupwardly from said upper .sur-V face, ysaid ribs'being adapted toslightly penetrate the lwood of vthe furniture, to prevent l? integral metal headY havingva Asmooth lowerY sliding surface upwardly curved'around the edge, and. having. one or more .radial ,up-'

wardly extending ribson its upper surface, extending inwardly from the edge, :and a separate .shank formed of metal having the same coefficient yof expansion as said head, extendingupwardly from the center of the head, Vthe @metal of :the .solid head being pressed down 'over the Vsaid shank head'portion .to holdpthe saine in place.V

4i. A .furniture slide, comprising a solid los yupper surface, said shank having a headY portion embedded in the metalof ,said'solid lll() steel headya'nd` a.. separate steel shank eX- f tendingv :upwardly Vfrom the center of thev upper surface thereof and having. a head portion embedded infthemetalof saidSOlid* head, Ysaid solid head having Ya lowersliding Y surface upwardly curved around the edges and havingA slight integral proj ections. eir-y tendingupwardlyfrom the upper surface of the head, said .proj ectioiis extending inwardly part way between the outer edgel and the shank, and serving'to resist turningof the slide. L i

5. A furniture slide, comprising a solid head ofY unhardened steel, and a separate steel shank extending upwardly from the center of the upper surface thereof and having a Vhead portion embedded in fthe.

metal of said solid head, said solid headhav-V ing a lower sliding Ysurface Vupwardly curved around the edge, and being of suiiicent thickness to resist Wear Without being hardened, said head having slight integral projections extending upwardly from the upper surface of the head and having such slight height and thickness as to have substantially no tendency to split the Wood into which they are driven, said projections extending innf'ardly part Way between the outer edge and the shank, and serving t0 resist turning 10 of the slide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification.

' JAMES A. GREEN. 

